Thanks to the several who made
suggestions, the near-consensus, understandably enough, being that terns were
likely candidates. However, I think that Shaun (below) is probably
on the right track and that this is a case where the still frame has been
responsible for a misleading image. The original sequence is 5 seconds
and I have played it several times at actual and half-speed. The location
was allegedly on the fringe of rainforest, and I think they probably are
WHPs. It is a deep wingbeat, with some audible clatter. I’ve
seen WHPs flying around and through trees but not, so far as I recall, in roosting
flight. Sorry for the digression from local subjects - I
thought others might have seen the same program, but it probably clashed with The
Simpsons or a nightjar stake-out or one of the many other calls on the time of
the busy Canberra birder. Geoffrey
From: Shaun Bagley
[
Sent: Monday, 23 April 2007 11:11 PM
To: Geoffrey Dabb
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Armchair birdwatching
Am
wondering if this is not a combined effect of light and camera angle creating
shadows on heads and bellies. No great expert on WH pigeons but these bird
certainly look pigeon-like and I notice that there is some variation in the
shading and possibly the most "yellow" bill is actually the setting
sun reflecting off beak?
-----
Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, April 23,
2007 4:40 PM
Subject: [canberrabirds]
Armchair birdwatching
The ABC ‘Painting Australia’ program last
Tuesday was set at Mullumbimby in the Byron Bay hinterland. I was puzzled
by the brief shot of a flock of black and white birds flying by at dusk.
They looked long-tailed and at first sight I took them for some kind of
heron. Then I wondered if the shot was slowed down to make it a little
more cinegenic. Having examined a frame, I can only think of White-headed
Pigeons, a common enough bird for that area. I am at a loss to explain
the apparent black caps and the dark bellies on all of them, though.
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